Fact: Hardest part of being a pet owner is finding a vet that you can trust that isn't going to try selling you unnecessary bullshit in order to make a quick buck via pulling on your heart strings.
>>2083838
You just need to look around and check reviews and do leg work. Not all vets are money obsessed bullshit artists. Most are though hence why you need to put in the effort of finding one that isn't. I learned the hard way and now I know exactly when a Vet is being honest or not. It is fairly obvious.
It's 2016. There has literally never been an easier time in existence to find good services and professionals.
Very true. The vet I used to take my dog to was highly recommended by cat owner friends but I decided to go since it was nearby. The doctor was condescending but seemed knowledgable so we continued going for like a year. Then, just last October, my dog developed some kind of swelling on his chest. We took him in, they took a sample from the bump. A few days later she called me to tell me the results. It was "maybe" a spindle cell tumor and it would cost ~4500 to remove "most" of it. The uncertainty was obviously a red flag plus the fact that my dog was 13 months old at the time and was displaying no other signs of sickness. Not to mention, in the time between the sample taking and the result call, the bump had decreased in size. Anyway, we took him to another doctor for a second opinion and he wouldn't even do a test because he was certain the swelling was just some kind of bruise from roughousing.
I've spoken with other local dog owners about that first vet and nobody has anything good to say.
I love the vet clinic I go to. They never try to sell me unnecessary shit. For instance I went to them once to ask about getting my 5 month old puppy allergy tested, and they told me they could do it, but it would be better to wait a little and not waste money, as it would likely turn out negative anyways at that age. Talked to another dog owner with a puppy the same age, and they got told by their vet to allergy test him. It had turned out negative, so they would have to test him again later.
The prizes are also the cheapest in this city. My puppy needed to pull out his puppy fangs, and all the vets in this city quoted $450-650 for both teeth (I live in an expensive city, but that really is expensive), except them. They were only $180 for all puppy teeth that were left at 7 months.
They also have this help line that you can call for free and get advice on wether you need to come or if you can just treat your pet at home yourself.
I think part of it is that they are really popular, so they don't need to sell you all kinds of bullshit and waste your time, as they are always have customers anyways.
Love my vet.
The first vet I took my dog to was one recommended by his rescue. It was shit (both the vet and the rescue, really)--I'd never seen what flea bites looked like before, so when I asked the vet about the strange sores on my puppy's abdomen, she said they were nothing. I figured out they were flea bites later.
Then, the next morning, he had tapeworms in his poop in addition to the fleas. I was telling my boss about this and he offered to let me go early if I visited HIS vet.
This vet did a fecal exam and told me not only did my puppy have tapeworms, but he also had giardia and coccidia. The rescue told me he'd been dewormed (they also told me he'd be neutered before I got him, but that wasn't the case), but he obviously hadn't if he had three different kinds of worms floating around inside of him. The vet offered me a package deal: I paid $150, and he got a free fecal exam (normally $50), all his booster shots, 3 months' worth of heartgard, free pre-neuter exam, and all of his vet visits were free until he was 6 months old (they normally charge $55 for just the checkup). It ended up saving me probably around $600 in the end. That day they sent me home with a free ear-cleaning and nail trim, a dewormer and tapeworm killer, and a big tube of probiotic paste. Though they did have a list of "recommended" foods (science diet), they didn't try to sell me any at the clinic. when I reviewed them on Yelp, the head vet sent me a thank you card with a $20 credit. all the vets and techs and receptionists know my dog (because he comes in so often) and one specifically wanted me to stick around an extra five minutes so her daughter could meet him. they also partner with a charity that helps really financially-disadvantaged people pay for high vet bills. hope I never move too far to go to this vet.
their office is a shack in the industrial part of town though, so it's easy to see why they're not that well-known.
I picked my vet practice when I moved to the area based on a few criteria: out of hours emergency service, relative closeness to my living location, and the fact it has multiple branches in the county so when I started looking to buy a house there was more chance I wouldn't have to change vet if I liked them. It also helped that they'd won a national vet practice of the year award a few years back.
2 years on, I haven't once felt the need to change or felt ripped off by them. The dog got an infection in her nail bed once, and beyond the initial visit and the meds for it, they didn't charge me for the 2-3 checkups they wanted me to come back for. I got lucky, and I'm glad.
I feel you. My budgie is very sick right now and it's the first time I consulted a vet. I don't think she has given me the right medicine but I am desperate to save him. Already cost me over 300 € but what can I do.
>>2083846
I wish I could be this stupid. It must be nice.
my family went to a vet for years; we all really liked him. then his practice got bought out by a corporation and he retired i guess. we kept going to the same location because it was close, but we rarely saw the same vet twice. one of them heard a heart murmur in our dog and then wanted to do all kinds of tests. dog seemed to be doing fine, so we declined the tests. 10 years later, the dog still doesn't have any heart problems. the bullshit at the vet kept mounting, so we went to another that my brother's wife recommended. we couldn't be happier with the new vet.
Dude. Good vets are easy to find. The ones that really give a shit are pretty easy to locate. Like previous posters have said, they tend to undercharge. They also genuinely care about your pets. They're office staff will also be happy and care about your pets. My vet even does exams outside on the lawn for nervous dogs. She's the best. She brings a toy, we all sit together on the grass and she wrestles/plays with the dogs as she examines them.
